With organizers having failed to come up with the cash, Squamish's proposed urban farm won't be taking root this fall.
The organizers of the project formerly known as CAN Farm and recently renamed the Discovery Farm had two weeks to raise $42,000 to transform a one-acre vacant downtown lot into rows of vegetables.
The project's three-year land lease agreement hinged on the non-profit farm being up and running by Oct. 31, said Katie Pease, the project's manager. That date marks B.C. Assessment's property reassessment deadline, at which point the landowner would be able to get a tax break if the farm was operational.
But as of Friday (Oct. 14), Pease said it was clear the project wasn't going to reach its funding target. Donors have been notified, she said, and any pledged cash will likely be redirected to other initiatives.
"As of the end of October we won't be on the property," she said.
The proposal hasn't been tossed in the compost entirely, however. Pease and other volunteers plan to continue applying for grants. Pease said she's hoping to renegotiate a lease agreement for the same piece of property and, if cash is in place, construction on the farm could start next spring.
"It is going to all depend on funding," she said. "We will keep on working towards getting the money. When that is, it's hard to say."
The community was quite supportive of the plan, which includes two large greenhouses, Pease said.
The proposal was for the farm to run year-round. It was expected to produce 700 pounds of fresh produce weekly, Pease told The Chief. Money raised from selling vegetables would have gone toward community non-profit programs, she said.
Organizers aimed to approach local restaurants and stores with the produce, and the farm was going to be used as an educational hub for other community organizations and schools, Pease said.
"The community has been amazingly supportive of this process," she said.
